The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has onboarded Thndr, a leading retail investment platform in the MENA region, as its first remote retail trading member, in a move aimed at broadening market access and boosting regional capital flows.
The announcement, made at ADX headquarters in Abu Dhabi, marks a significant milestone for both organisations. The ADX is the largest exchange in the UAE, the second-largest in the MENA region, and ranks among the world’s top 20.
Founded in Egypt in 2020, Thndr is one of the region’s first fully digital investment platforms, regulated by the Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). It allows users to trade a range of asset classes including equities, gold, mutual funds, and savings products through a mobile app.
In 2024 alone, Thndr executed 12 million trades worth more than $13 billion, with over four million downloads across the UAE, Egypt, and the U.S. markets.
New investment opportunities
Thndr users will now be able to invest directly in some of the UAE’s most valuable listed companies and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) via the app. ADX says the move reinforces its strategy of connecting Abu Dhabi to global capital while diversifying its investor base.
Remote Trading Membership enables individuals, international brokers, and institutions to trade on ADX without needing a physical presence in the UAE, a system that aligns with international market practices. The exchange says the model will attract foreign investment, increase liquidity, and stimulate trading activity.
Strategic alignment
Abdulla Salem Alnuaimi, Group CEO of ADX, described the onboarding as “a transformative step in creating tangible trading bridges across the region’s capital market”. He said it underscored ADX’s commitment to financial inclusion, digital innovation, and Abu Dhabi’s shift towards a knowledge- and investment-led economy.
Thndr co-founder and CEO Ahmad Hammouda said the partnership represented both a business breakthrough and a personal milestone, noting historic ties between Egypt and the UAE. “This gives our users the chance to invest in one of the region’s strongest-performing markets,” he said, adding that the collaboration also opens access to other MENA markets through ADX’s Tabadul platform.
Seif Amr, Thndr’s co-founder and board member, called the launch “a major milestone” and praised the joint efforts of ADX, FSRA, Hub71, ENBD, and E& in making the integration possible.
Regional growth ambitions
The partnership supports ADX initiatives such as Tabadul, the first digital exchange hub in the region based on the mutual market access model. It also complements the exchange’s strategic alliances with global markets, encouraging knowledge transfer and cross-border collaboration.
With a market capitalisation of AED 3.1 trillion, ADX has outperformed the MSCI Emerging Markets Index over the past decade and global indices over the past 20 years, underscoring its role as a dynamic hub for international investment.
